Last year was another record-breaking year when it came to the number of meth lab busts in North Carolina.

While meth labs have decreased nationwide since 2010, they’ve dramatically been increasing in North Carolina every year since 2007.

Last year, law enforcement officials encountered 460 meth labs across the state, up from 344 in 2011.

Wilkes County responded to a whopping 58 meth labs last year, more than doubling the second highest number of 27 in Wayne County.

Only two were found in Haywood County, but that’s no reason to turn a blind eye to the problem, law enforcement say.

Despite fewer meth lab busts locally, plenty of people are being charged with possession of meth, suggesting that criminals are importing the drug or using new and easier methods to make it.

Det. Mark Mease with ...